Armed drunk stopped with spike strip, cops say

Wednesday

Jan 2, 2013 at 2:00 AMJan 2, 2013 at 8:04 AM

Doyle Murphy

SAUGERTIES — An armed, drunken Saugerties man drove through a police roadblock on New Year’s Eve, and then struggled with cops and troopers after they stopped his car with spike strips and a second roadblock, police said.The incident began at 9:25 p.m. when Saugerties police were told a shotgun-wielding man was outside a home on Montgomery Street. Cops arrived to see a man matching the description driving away in a Toyota Camry, police said. They chased the car toward Woodstock. Saugerties police said Woodstock cops set up a roadblock at Glasco Turnpike and West Saugerties Woodstock Road. The Camry drove on until he was finally stopped on Macdaniel Road in Woodstock. Police said they had to stun the driver with a Taser. Police identified the driver as 63-year-old John Howland. Police said he committed 19 crimes, from weapons possession and driving while intoxicated to five counts of running red lights. Howland was arraigned in Saugerties court and sent to Ulster County Jail on $25,000 bail.